With a clatter, the knife fell from my hand.
I collapsed on the ground.
It was only then that I realized what I had done. My hands were covered in blood, and my white dress was dotted with red stains… The alarm blared. Inside and outside the door, chaos ensued, with people coming in and out, calling for ambulances, shouting for the police, and someone holding onto my shoulders.
The police cordoned off the entire building, and cold handcuffs clasped my wrists.
I sat in the police car, the sirens wailing, but I felt incredibly calm inside.
I couldn’t explain what I was thinking at that moment.
My mind was blank, like after a snowfall, everything was white.
It felt like my soul was drifting away, farther and farther.
I looked out the window and smiled, feeling relieved, everything was over. Tears dropped onto the back of my hand. Through the haze, I saw a handsome and aloof young man walking towards me. He looked at me, his cold gaze hiding imperceptible pity. His voice was deep, but his words were strong and powerful, “Laura, you are mine, forever mine!”
…
“Ah!”
I screamed and woke up.
The surroundings were exactly like the dream, all white. There was a faint smell of disinfectant in the air. I slowly sat up, coughing a few times.
Two police officers walked in.
They took me to a room similar to an interrogation room, with a long table in the middle. Cameras surrounded us, creating a cold and solemn atmosphere.
I felt confused. “W-what happened?”
“You’re not seriously injured, just a bit shocked. Combined with symptoms of malnutrition, you were a bit weak, so you fainted.”
I nodded.
“You’ve been given a nutrient injection, you’ll be fine.”
I looked up at them.
I slowly recalled everything, like having a nightmare.
The handcuffs on my wrists clinked.
I took a deep breath. “I’ll cooperate with the officers. I killed the person… I confess.”
The two looked at each other and then said impassively, “Not so fast. Someone wants to see you.”
“Who?”
The iron door was pulled open. Against the light, I couldn’t see the person’s face clearly, just a vaguely familiar figure.
When he sat across from me, I finally came to my senses. I stared at him in confusion. “Patrick?”
“Yes.”
He waved his hand, and everyone in the room left.
“Are you in charge of interrogating me?”
He didn’t say a word, just cast a indifferent glance at me, then lowered his head, seemingly reluctant to meet my eyes, and focused on the documents in front of him, reading them from start to finish.
“Cameron, he…”
“He’s not dead.”
My heart sank again.
“You stabbed him six times, but none of them were fatal. Plus, you’re not very strong, so the wounds weren’t deep. Cameron was lucky this time. He only suffered superficial injuries, and with some rest, he’ll be fine.”
I closed my eyes, unable to discern my feelings. It wasn’t until now that I carefully considered whether I truly wanted him dead. Was murder just a momentary impulse? Did I genuinely wish for Cameron to disappear from this world?
I hated how he exposed our illicit relationship to the world.
I resented him for causing me to lose Patrick.
But if I truly wanted him dead, why did I avoid vital organs when I stabbed him? Was I too nervous to aim accurately? Or was it subconscious, that deep down, I didn’t want him to be seriously harmed?
I hugged my head tightly, and suddenly, I saw the blazing fires of Alcostan in my mind… I remembered telling him that people only confront their hearts in life and death situations, only then do they realize who they truly care about.
“Laura…”
Patrick sat beside me, gently placing his hands on my shoulders.
“Stay calm for now,” he said softly. “I know this wasn’t your intention. I’ll do everything I can to…”
“No need,” I couldn’t face him. “Patrick, don’t make excuses for someone like me. I’m not worth it. You’re a police officer, you should handle this impartially.”
“Laura!”
“I’m the daughter of a murderer,” I bitterly smiled. “The daughter of a murderer, inevitably unable to escape the fate of murder.”
“You’re not a murderer, Cameron isn’t dead. And… Carter says he wants to bail you out.”
“What?”
I trembled all over.
“Carter wants to bail you out,” He repeated, “His lawyer is negotiating outside.”
Patrick released me and returned to his seat. His gaze was complicated, but there was a sense of distance between us. I knew he was growing further apart from me.
“Laura,” After a while, he said softly, “Carter’s lawyer says The Lynch Family won’t press charges against you. After all, you’re their adopted daughter, you’re family to them, and they don’t want their dirty laundry aired in public.”
“My opinion is, if you end up in jail, it’ll be a stain on your life record. Since Carter wants to bail you out, let’s go with the flow, leave this behind for now.”
“Patrick…” I reached out to hold his hand. He furrowed and slowly withdrew his hand.
“Laura,” He sighed lightly, lowering his head, “I’ll wish you well… but I’m sorry, I can’t accept it for now.”
“I understand,” I swallowed back my tears. “Which man could accept this? But still, thank you. I was happy with you… Thank you, Patrick, thank you for being so good to me. You will meet a better girl, and you will be happy…”
“Stop talking about it,” Patrick stood up. He kept his head down the whole time, and I couldn’t make out his expression.
“I’ll go call Carter’s lawyer in. Later, a colleague specializing in law will talk to him. Laura, you have to take care of yourself after you’re out.”
“Yeah, I will.”
As he turned away, I knew he wouldn’t look back.
My connection with Patrick ultimately ended here, while my entanglement with The Lynch Family seemed to be starting anew.
Carter bailed me out and arranged for me to stay in a hotel suite. Meals were delivered to the room three times a day, and all my clothing and daily necessities were already prepared. Strangely, those days were calm, with no disturbances, and Carter didn’t come to see me. It felt like the whole world had forgotten about me.
No one came to see me, but I wanted to go out and find ‘someone’.
I found Carter in a bar, drinking. Many women surrounded him. I couldn’t help but stare in astonishment; this kind of Carter was so different from the one I remembered.
He cast an indifferent glance at me, nodded slightly, and gestured for me to sit in a corner of the sofa.
When the music stopped, he took me to a quieter room. He lounged on the sofa, still holding a cigar in his hand.
“No wonder Cameron reveled every night,” he sneered. “These indulgent days are indeed comfortable.”
“Carter…”
“What brings you here?”
I hesitated for a moment before saying softly, “I wanted to ask you… is the ‘collaboration’ you mentioned before still valid?”
“Collaboration?”
“Yes,” I looked at him. “Regarding the inheritance.”
Carter didn’t show much surprise. Perhaps everything was under his control.
If he couldn’t guess my intentions, he wouldn’t have bailed me out.
“Laura,” He flicked the cigar ash and chuckled lightly. “Have you come to your senses?”
“Cameron ruined my reputation… I lost everything, and now the whole of Jerez State is gossiping about me. My nakedness was exposed to everyone. Patrick couldn’t bear and leave me… I’ve lost everything, shouldn’t I seek revenge?”
“I stabbed him with a fruit knife, but I’m surprised he didn’t die.”
I laughed softly, I couldn’t shed any tears by then.
It turns out that true pain was the one that couldn’t make you cry. The pain that could make you cry wasn’t considered really pain at all.
Carter took a deep drag of his cigar, and blew out smoke rings. “You were too merciful!”
“Laura, admit it… You can’t bring yourself to take Cameron’s life! You don’t have the heart, you can’t do it!”
“Stop it!” I suddenly felt a splitting headache, covering my ears and shouting.
Carter was cunning, he knew my weaknesses perfectly and knew what would hurt me the most.
“Alright..,”
“I want to collaborate with you, Carter. I really can’t bring myself to kill someone with my own hands. But I don’t want to let Cameron off so easily. He ruined me, destroyed my life. I can’t let him get away with it!”
“Yeah, we can’t let him get away with it!” A hint of complexity flashed in Carter’s eyes. “I’ve told you this long ago. How many times have I talked to you about this collaboration? There’s a saying you should understand, time waits for no one.” He stood up, looking down at me. “Missed opportunities are hard to come by again.”
“What do you mean by that?”